News from Chinese Blogosphere

After Tencent required its QQ Group users to register their real name, poll shows that near half of people would abandon the use of this popular IM software. Also 65% of them are against the policy of so-called “real name registration” if implemented by government widely. Another interesting story about...

Mexican President, Vicente Fox Interviewed by Blogger?

Last night I came across a post on Bloggings by Boz which linked to a post in Spanish by Goleech mentioning that Mexican president, Vicente Fox, in what must have been a first, was interviewed by a blogger. I read through the interview, and though it seemed more than sufficiently...

BBC statement on Afghan blogger threats

The Committee to Protect Bloggers recently received the following statement from the BBC in response to complaints by Afghan Blogger Sohrab Kabuli that somebody has been using a BBC computer to threaten him. The statement was sent by Mike Gardner, Head of Media Relations at BBC World Service: The BBC...

Inside the Japanese Blogosphere – The Anti-Korea Wave

The ever-useful “Ninki Blog Ranking” lists the most-viewed Japanese blogs in a number of different categories. There are blogs for mothers who wish to help their children study more effectively, blogs devoted to tracking the movements of celebrities, and blogs that discuss the best way to diet. And, like any...

Latin America Responds to TeleSur's Launch

This past Sunday a small group of 25 journalists in Caracas, Venezuela began pilot-broadcasting a new Pan-American satellite news network called TeleSur which, by September, hopes to be reaching audiences all throughout the Americas with at least nine regional bureaus including Colombia, Argentina, Cuba, Brazil, Washington D.C, La Paz and...

Flickr Pick from Guatemala

“Antigua, Guatemala” by KDUNK

Report from the Jordan Blogger Gathering

Tonight's Jordan Blogger Gathering You never know who'll show up for a bloggers’ gathering. The Jordan blogger meetup – a joint Jordan Planet/Global Voices effort – turned up not only some of Jordan's best bloggers, but superstars from Bahrain and Egypt as well. Representing Amman were Ammar Ibrahim, Roba Assi...

India: Violence in Gurgaon

Bloggers speak up on violence in Gurgaon, brought on by clashes between the Police and workers of an Industrial Unit.

Flickr Pick from Japan

“Kimono” by Scott Parish Photographers! We monitor a large number of Flickr feeds every day, looking for photographs that would make good Flickr Picks for Global Voices. If you have a picture that you think would make a good Pick for us and you'd like to make sure we see...

MUMBAI FLOOD

Dhaka experienced heavy rains (156mm within 24 hours) early this month. The excess downpours inundated nearly a quarter of the cosmopolitan disrupting lives of its 10 million citizens. Streets and roads remained waterlogged, schools were shut down and shopping malls remained closed. But nothing is close to what Mumbai has...

Meet ThaRum: Cambodia's Second Most Famous Blogger

Tharum started his blog in June 2004 while a student at the National University of Management and working for the Open Forum for Cambodia, a Cambodian NGO devoted to digital divide issues.   He worked as a content editor for the Khmer language portal.  Tharum became a celebrity when his blog...

Iran: Supporters of Akbar Ganji arrested including bloggers

From the Committee to Protect Bloggers: Some of the young people who had gone to Milad Hospital (on 25 July) following a call by bloggers to show support for Akbar Ganji have been detained by the Law Enforcement Force and plainclothesmen and taken to an unknown location. Based on a...

Flickr Pick from Japan

Photograph by Mike Connolly Photographers! We monitor a large number of Flickr feeds every day, looking for photographs that would make good Flickr Picks for Global Voices. If you have a picture that you think would make a good Pick for us and you'd like to make sure we see...

Balancing Act on African Blogs

The current issue of Balancing Act – the leading online newsletter reporting on African telecommunications – leads off with an article on African blogs and features several bloggers who are involved with Global Voices, including Andy Carvin, Kenyan Pundit Ory Okolloh (good luck with the bar exam, Ory!), Sokari Ekine...

Flickr Pick from Trinidad and Tobago

From the excellent photoblog, Caribbean Free Photo, comes this portrait, entitled “Steel and Brass.” 22-year old trumpeter Etienne Charles, photographed at the Phase II Pan Groove panyard, home base of one of Trinidad & Tobago’s most celebrated steel orchestras. “This place is my home,” says Etienne, “For me this was...

Flickr Pick from Dominican Republic

Roberto Muñoz of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic took this picture, “Tides” an hour from where he lives.

Buzz from South Asian Blogs

South Asia: News, Views and Opinions

How to Make a Three-Hour Drive a Seven-Hour Nightmare

Yesterday afternoon, a group of us began the drive back to Accra from Patriensa. As you'll see in a future blog entry, our car broke down and we spent hours hobbling back to Accra, towed by a feed truck whose tow rope kept breaking from the front of the car. In the meantime, you can hear two podcasts I posted from my mobile phone while we were stranded - yes, I managed to have mobile phone access in rural southern Ghana. First podcast: around 7:15pm, somewhere north of Accra
Second podcast: about two hours later, a bit closer to Accra, but far from anywhere near our final destination

Strolling Through Kumasi Central Market

Video montage of a walk through one of the largest open-air markets in Africa. Shot and edited on July 23, 2005. Music by Ghanaian drummer Obo Addy, from his album Afieye Okropong, used with permission from Alula Records.

Accra Update #2

My latest podcast from Ghana explaining why I've been offline since Friday afternoon. Music by Ghanaian drummer Obo Addy, from his album Afieye Okropong, used with permission from Alula Records. -andy

Egyptian Bloggers Against Terrorism

(Photo from OneArabWorld.) Karim Eslahy has posted a link to photos of Sunday's demonstration against terrorism organized by Egyptian bloggers. We're still trying to confirm how many people attended, but Karim reports: “Very small turnout and the cops made them leave but proportionally significant coverage nonetheless.” Attendees included The Big...